Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-02
FLORIDA.

The fishermen OF Sanford nave been en-
jOying the best of luck of late, and every
night take in great quantities of fish.
Tue fish are sold to local dealers and ship
ped North, and the industry is one of
more Importance than the average citizen
is aware OF. About forty men are en-
gagged in the business.
At Live Oak Monday the prosecution
rested in the Selph case and the defense
finished the examination of eight or ten
witnesses. Most of the testimony for the
prosecution Is greatly modified from that
taken at the first trial, and the defense is
very sanguine. The prevailing opinion
seems TO be in favor of acquittal.
The jacksonville Times-Union pub.
fishes table giving an accurate count Of
the number of arrivals at the various
hotels in that city for the months of
October, November, December, January
and February for the seasons of 1898,
1884, 1875. 1856, and 1857. 1t shows
an actual decrease in the number OF
arrivals at the hotels in the city so far the
present season from those Of last season
of 6, 526 persons, and decline for the past
month OF February ot2 ,43S from the same
month last year. The totals OF the
seasons named to March l in each year
are as follows: 1SS2-S3. 24,911; 18S3-S4-
31,357; 1SS4-S5, 81, 062; 1885, Al 1856; 1885,
81, 81, AGO.
In the United States Court at Jackson
vile Monday there was filed an important
claim against the Receiver OF the Florida
Railway and Navigation Company and
the property in his hands, growing out OF
circumstances going back nearly twenty
years. 1t appears from the petition that
in 1868 the enterprising railroad projec-
tors of that date entered upon a large
plantation of a gentleman, then deceased,
named Harrison, and proceeded to appro-
pirate the right of way for the distance of
nearly two miles, terminating on the bank
of the Apalachicola river. They went to
work building Their railroad from Quincy
across 1t, and the parties and their sue
cessors, from that time TO this, have
treated the property just as if it belonged
10 them, without ever having paid one
cent for the privilege; mean while, NOT
only running the railroad over it, but
putting up a hotel and other buildings. 1t
appears from the petition that Mr.. Har.
rison wilied the plantation TO his widow,
Mrs. Elizabeth Harrison, Tor her lite, and
after her death to her three daughters,
who have now become owners of their
mothers life estate, as they are by the
will OF the remainder, and it is
IN their name tnal the pro-
ceedings have been instituted.
Two of these live in East Jacksonville,
one Mrs. ROBERTA ID. bradIOrd, DelnR
principal of the East Jacksonville Graded
School, and the other, Miss Sallie b. Har-
rison, also a teacher in the same SUBURBAN
city. The petition asks that the receiver
be required to pay for the right-oi-way
and it's long continued use by the
successive railroad companies, and,
until payment, DO forbidden
to run trains over the plantation.
The court is not likely to stop the ruiz
ming of the cars, but should the case be
decided that the claimants are entitled to
be paid, au interesting question may
arise, viz, whether in the assess
ment OF the value of the right
of way they shall be paid for all
the buildings and improvements, even the
iron which the railroad companies have
put there. This, 1t seems, is the claim
made in the petition, il which it Is in
sisted that the companies have been all
the while trespassing, and their use and
occupancy, from the first TO the last, but
one continuing trespass, and that what
ever improvements and buildings they
nave made have been made in their own
wrong and belong to The owners of the
land. The petition was presented by r..
b. Hilton, and referred by Judge Settle
to Maj. Durkee to consider and report.